Go with your gut: the secret to weight loss lies in our stomach's bacteria

It’s the variety of food you eat that dictates your health, writes Rosie King.

One decade, we’re told to cut fat from our diets to lose weight. The next, we’re told to count calories. Then it’s all about ditching carbs. But could it be that we’ve had it wrong all along and the secret is actually already within us? More specifically, within our gut?

Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology and author of The Diet Myth [Hachette], says yes. “The more diverse your gut microbes, the more likely you are to be healthy and lean, and the more sparse your microbes, the more likely you are to be overweight,” Spector says. “This is knowledge that didn’t exist five years ago.” 

How many snacks per day should you eat to help with weight loss?

Snacking — is it good or bad? Can between-meal noshing help to manage your weight or is it just another opportunity to eat more?

The notion behind eating smaller, more frequent meals is simple: spreading out one’s daily calories over the course of the day will help to regulate appetite, boost nutrient intake, improve glucose and insulin control and even help keep metabolism revved up — so the story goes. While others report snacking is used to satisfy cravings, pass the time or deal with unsettling emotions.

But it depends on what constitutes a snack.

In a snack-obsessed society where companies are coming up with endless new ways to package foods we can eat on-the-run, along with our current Instagram obsession with bliss balls and luscious smoothies, many snacks are in fact energy-dense, containing as many calories as a small meal. So, it is very important to keep in mind that portions matter — a lot.

If You Want to Get Fit, Stay Real and Forget the Latest Trends

Elise A. Miller is the author of Star Craving Mad, and her new satirical romance novel, Tracing the Bones, is out in June. Elise is also a kettlebell instructor in Philadelphia, PA.

I was at the pool with my son the other day when a woman — in her 40s like me — said, "I hope you don't think I'm nuts, but you win. You have the best body here. You're ripped!" I elbowed my 11-year-old in the ribs and said, "Honey, did you hear that?"

"Thank you so much. You just made my month," I said to my new best friend ever. We got to talking because how could I not. I spent years envying other women's bodies before I finally learned how to truly transform my own and feel not only confident in a bikini but MILFy.

One of the things the woman asked me was what I did. I told her resistance training. She glazed over when I mentioned kettlebells, so I didn't elaborate. Between you and me, I also use dumbbells, a pull-up bar, my own bodyweight, resistance bands, parallettes, and a barbell. I have about 10 moves I do per day, most days of the week, and I've been doing them since 2011. That's four years of dedicated training using basic exercises. All this and I make sure I eat around or above 100 grams of protein a day, letting fats and carbs take care of themselves.

Protein, Fibre, Apple Cider Vinegar: 10 weight loss hacks to help you lose kilos faster

Diet tricks to help you lose weight faster this year

Whether you're looking to trim down fast or just tired or trying fads and trends that just don't work, then these might be your answer. Losing weight doesn't need to be hard. By making simple swaps and adding a few extras to your diet you can see great results in no time.

1. Eat More Plant Based Foods

Plant based foods are loaded with vital nutrients and phytochemicals our bodies need to for good health and for healthy weight management. They are high in dietary fibre to promote better digestion and bowel regularity, and are generally low in saturated fats and calories.

Weight Loss: 10 signs you need to shed kilos

The traditional way of finding out if you’re overweight, the Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator, is now considered outdated and incorrect. Instead, there are 10 other tests you can undergo to find out whether you’ve got kilos to shift

1. How Wide is Your Waist?

“The measurement of your waist is more important than using the BMI calculator to determine whether you need to lose weight,” Michael Cunico, national personal training manager for Fitness First Australia, says. According to the Heart Foundation, if you’re a man and your waist measurement is greater than 94cm (or more than 80cm for women), it can indicate internal fat deposits. This fat coats the heart, kidneys, liver  and pancreas and can increase the risk of chronic disease.

Dance, yoga, weights: The exercises to keep your mind fit

There’s no question that when you exercise, you feel good. Here are some exercises to keep you feeling great on the inside.

Regular exercise does wonders for your mental wellbeing; from boosting your mood and your self-esteem, to improving your memory. Research is also proving that physical activity helps people who suffer from depression and anxiety. If you’re in need of a pick-me-up, or you’re looking to better your mental health, here are some exercises to try. 

Yoga

It’s commonly known that yoga reaps just as many mental benefits as it does physical. According to research from the Boston University School of Medicine, yoga has been found to elevate brain gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels; a natural brain chemical that helps to calm your nervous system.

The Workouts That Help You See Weight-Loss Results Faster

Are you maximizing your calorie-burning time when you work out? Make those minutes count with these workouts for weight loss. Read on to learn just why these workouts are great for losing those pounds, as well as routines for each type of workout.

Add Cardio Intervals

Cardio intervals, or short sprints in between slower recovery periods, are better at helping you lose weight than steady-state cardio because they force your muscles to work harder without adequate oxygen, a process called anaerobic conditioning. This helps your muscles burn more fuel, perform better, and grow in the long run and can even cause certain gene changes in your body that fire up your metabolism. And since bigger muscles equal more fat burn, interval training is a smart strategy to incorporate into a few cardio workouts each week.